Mercy of thy Contradictions
by ImmemorialMemory
Summary: In a world where Mavis didn't die from the kiss and remained as Zeref's anchor, how much would everything change? Oneshot, complete. Until Chapter 510 of the manga.
1. Mercy of thy Contradictions

**Mercy of thy Contradictions**

It was irony in its finest. The kiss would kill the girl, would twist the Black Mage into despair and begin the turnings of Fate. But on this instance, Anksheram decided to show mercy.

In a world where Mavis didn't die from the kiss and remained as Zeref's anchor, how much would everything change?

 **Author's Note:** Hey ho, the fanfic life we go! So. This is a purely AU and an 'I-wish-this-happened-instead' fanfic fueled by my imagination. Because the recent chapters rekindled my love for the tragedy that is Zeref and Mavis, not to mention their so-called son left my plot-bunnies in a frenzy! So here we are, and hope you enjoy.

 **Warnings:** AU of course (I mean, MAVIS LIVES. How much more bizarre can you get?), Larcade is here, until 510 of the manga, some sexual hints, but nothing explicit

 **Pairings:** ZerVis, NaLu hints

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, otherwise Mavis would have lived and Zeref wouldn't be such an emo. The lovely cover image isn't mine either.

* * *

Ankhseram was the god of Life and Death.

To oversee the natural progress of birth and degeneration of every living being in every dimension, and to punish those impetuous enough to rebel against the balance and befitting flow of life and death.

This was Ankhseram's duty.

Ankhseram had no proper conscious, for eternal gods were nowhere and everywhere at the same time. They do not care for a particular realm, do not seek their destruction or look for their continued existence. If a world destructed upon itself, to the gods it would just be another of many that had already ceased to be.

Eternal gods just _are_. They exist. They oversee. They judge. And will do so until the very last breaths of time and space.

No emotions.

No mercy.

Only justice.

But…

After millennia of silence, the embodiment of Life and Death roused.

Ankhseram's sentience stirred, and it reached to find the cursed being called Zeref, the same being Ankhseram had cursed with immortality for daring to contradict the declaration of fate and the hands of death.

Eternal gods need not to be conscious to provide punishment to offenders or rewards to the worthy, for the laws of the universe were absolute, and one rule broken meant the fury of the whole world and a rewarded soul meant the riches of the earth.

But now…

Zeref had long since held Ankhseram's fury and interest, for rare were the creatures who would plead for a life other than their own, and rarer still were those who would go against Ankhseram despite grave the warnings of others.

It bought about sentiments into Ankhseram's essence, emotions never felt before.

Derision.

Curiosity.

 _Amusement?_

For Ankhseram had seen the mage's soul darken over time as he immersed himself into forbidden Black Arts. Creating the most despicable abominations he called demons, earning more of Ankhseram's fury, and forming the largest empire that that particular world had ever seen. But the creature was never corrupt, never greedy for anything but his own death. Oh, he had ambition and desperation, but the shadows of his soul never consumed him, hanging between the tether of apathy and love.

The determination of his mind was iron-clad and the hope in his heart was still painfully present.

Determined for _what_?

Hope for _what_?

What was he determined and hoping for?

The Black Mage knew in the deepest parts of his mind that the curse was absolute.

But he remained as one of the most foolish and intriguing beings Ankhseram had ever judged upon, because of his clear understanding of the world and his blind faith in humanity. The Black Mage Zeref had uncovered more secrets of the world than any creature had ever done before, but thought the best of everything and everyone anyway. He knew the truth but hoped for lies. His genius and his stupidity were contradictory upon itself that Ankhseram had never felt exasperation before, but now it was there, and Ankhseram _could feel a lot of it_.

All because of one impetuous immortal.

And now, Ankhseram gazed upon him and another of his cursed ones, a little one named Mavis, a recently cursed thing of too much heart and too much love. She had been clueless, innocent of Zeref's teachings and the price she had to pay for defying the cycle of life. She was brightness and laughter and harmony, a stark contrast to the desolation and despair the Black Mage was emitting in silence, and she was urging him to live and dream and love.

Together.

And Zeref was looking upon her like she was his lifeline, his very last dregs of hope. For cursed alone he would go mad. But cursed together he could live and prosper.

 _Together…_

This cannot be.

 _This cannot be._

The curse was created as a harsh reminder to all those who go against the permanent laws of all the worlds. For them to obtain happiness because of the curse was forbidden, a travesty. Already, Ankhseram could feel the effects of the curse taking place as feelings and emotions tumbled out of both his cursed ones, fighting and clawing against each other's contradictions.

The girl, Mavis, would die.

But not because her emotions were any less potent, no. She will die because Zeref had been under the curse too far, too long. She, who had not felt as much anguish as the Black Mage, would succumb to the force of his desperate longing. For despite the equal love they both feel for each other, despite the thin red string tying them both, she had not gone through as much loneliness and rejection as he had.

And for the first time ever since this world had been born, Ankhseram hesitated.

For eternal gods showed no emotions.

No mercy.

Only justice.

But…

The Black Mage spiraling into insanity would do this world no favor. And Zeref had already proven himself to be pragmatic, despite his foolishness. Unrepentant he may be for going against the law, he had shouldered the burden of a thousand punishments and more. Men of lesser strength would have been driven into madness long ago yet he persevered.

 _Perhaps…_

Perhaps he deserved this one recompense.

* * *

"Your face is redder than a beetroot," Zeref teased, pulling Mavis closer more comfortably.

"Shut up," The tiny blonde muttered, her voice muffled as she hid her cheeks by burrowing in his chest.

He laughed, feeling more open than ever. There had been a moment, a frightening moment, when he felt his curse surging forward as he kissed the one person he loved more than anything. He tried to stop himself, horrified at the possibility of her gone. That he would open his eyes and see her unmoving. Dead by his hand.

But instead she was alive and real and _horribly embarrassed_ , eyes shut tightly and lips slightly bruised and Zeref couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable sight, even as his breathing eased in insurmountable relief.

 _She was here._

 _She was real, she was alive, she was with him._

He couldn't help but kiss her again, claiming her mouth in a more desperate kiss to prove that she was his. His to touch without regret. His to be together for as long as his life dictated.

His to love.

For that was what he felt for Mavis. That whirlwind of emotion whenever he caught sight of her long blonde hair and cheerful green eyes, his heart filled with exasperating indulgence and warmth and never ending happiness…

"I love you," he breathed and he laughed as she squeaked in embarrassment, pulling away with wide eyes.

She hit his chest lightly, pouting at the way he continued to laugh.

"Stop laughing!" Mavis ordered, her whole body tingling with overwhelming sensations. She took in a breath and settled into him once more, listening to the unnaturally fast beating of his heart. "And I love you too, jerk."

Zeref knew she did, could feel the tumble of her emotions, connected as they were by the same curse. But there was something about those words passing through her lips that made it real. Tangible. And Zeref shuddered at the thought, clutching her all the more tightly, pressing his lips to her forehead.

' _A boon for you, Black Mage.'_

The sudden voice in his head made his magic go wild, encasing him and Mavis in a protective shield to any intruders. Mind going a mile a minute, Zeref quickly deducted the possible source of the voice— _a powerful entity able to break through his mental defenses_ , the meaning of its phrases— _a boon for him_ , _the Black Mage, the Mage of Death_ , and ended into one conclusion.

' _Ankhseram,'_ he conveyed in a calm tone he did not feel, ignoring Mavis's panic, holding her so painfully tight he knew she wouldn't be able to breath properly.

He couldn't lose her.

Not now.

He would find a way to _annihilate gods_ if he did—

The voice of the god of life and death continued to echo in his head. _'Know this, Black Mage. The curse you both carry would have killed her due to the love you both feel.'_

' _But it didn't,'_ Zeref snarled out in defiance. It didn't.

 _She was here._

 _She was real, she was alive, she was with him._

' _It didn't,'_ The voice boomed, and Zeref felt a wave of mild amusement coming from the god. Another shudder wracked his body. _'May this be a lesson against your recklessness, Black Mage. You will never hold anyone close to you as you do her.'_

' _I don't care.'_ He growled. _'She's mine if she allows it. I'm hers if she'll have me. No matter what.'_

The voice was now an indistinct hum and Zeref felt himself slacken against his will. He hesitated. Why was the god here? Could it be that the Ankhseram was not here for another punishment for Zeref?

The voice resonated in his head one more, but it was muted, calmer. _'The gods can show mercy,'_ it murmured, and it sounded like a whisper in the winds. Zeref's eyes widened. _'And mercy Ankhseram will show. Cherish her, Black Mage. For she is the only mercy that shall be bestowed unto you.'_

The presence left his mind and Zeref almost collapsed in sheer relief. He closed his eyes and loosened his hold on Mavis, but he never completely let go. _Never ever let her go…_

"Zeref," Mavis said, voice frantic. He felt her hands on his face. "Zeref. I love you. _I love you_."

He hugged her fiercely, repeating her words in his head again and again to cleanse the frightening presence of the god from his mind. Filling it with Mavis, his beloved, his queen, his empress, the love of his long immortal life…

 _She was here._

 _She was real, she was alive, she was with him._

And she loved him.

Mavis really had the power to stand beside him. And for that alone, he would have her forever.

* * *

"You'll see them again," he soothed, pressing a kiss on her cheek. Mavis gave him a smile, eyes misty.

"I know," she said and Zeref smirked at the sulky look on her face, the familiar expression of defiance and grumpiness that she tried to hide beneath a blank or smiling face. This time she was trying to be brave for her guild, who had charged en-mass to Hargeon to see their First Master away.

"Master Mavis! Have a safe trip!"

"We'll keep the Fairy Tail spirit alive, we promise!"

"Thank you! For everything!"

"I still think you're a pedophile!"

Mavis laughed gaily, even as Zeref twitched and glared at the cheeky figure of Yuri Dreyar. He had a child Makarov in his arms, standing beside Warrod and Precht, the latter declared as the second guild master of Fairy Tail.

No one knew of Zeref's true identity, as he and Mavis gave them a false name when the trio caught him kissing their founder and guild master. It resulted in a barrage of attacks from the offended and protective males, who thought that Zeref was taking advantage of Mavis. She certainly didn't help, what with her breaking into hysterical bouts of laughter whenever they called him a volley of insults (most of them revolving around sexual predators and innocent girls). Zeref couldn't even approach her whenever they were around due to the possibility of the curse killing them.

Thus, the three idiots were of the notion that Zeref was afraid of them, and they would stand beside her ever so smugly, flexing their muscles and cracking knuckles at his direction in a threatening manner. It made for a good daydream for Zeref, imagining their reactions if they ever found out that they were threatening the person heralded as the most evil mage in magical history and the fact that their 'threats' were like gnats threatening a dragon.

Those times were also the only instances that Zeref desired to let loose of his curse willingly, if only to get rid of the three mild annoyances.

Mavis just snorted when he told her.

"I'm twenty." Zeref bit out.

"Physically," she had sang. He glared at her too, and she just grinned.

It had been a point of contention between everyone in the guild, once his relationship with Mavis was out in the open. It didn't help that he couldn't show himself to most of them, so the rumors went ridiculously wild. Mavis was still prone to giggling whenever she heard the one about the rickety old man with the floor-length beard.

The age difference didn't matter to Zeref. It certainly didn't faze Mavis, and she only kept bringing the topic for light teasing. While her physical body remained thirteen, her maturity and wisdom went beyond lifetimes and her strategic mind was one Zeref admired greatly. There were moments in which they did nothing but talk, and they could argue and debate and switch topics so seamlessly that Zeref would sometimes pause in surprise because at first they had been talking about the effectiveness of military training during peacetimes and next, they were arguing about the amount of oranges imported from the tropics of Veronica. She wasn't just his beloved in all the sense of the word, but his closest friend as well.

"It's been a good few years," Mavis said, staring at the distancing land of Ishgar. The tiny figures of people that were her guild mates had long since disappeared from her sight. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Zeref sensed her melancholy and enveloped her in an embrace. They stayed above the ship, staring at the endless sea of Ishgar until the sky bled red, in which they retired for rest.

Zeref and Mavis stayed in Ishgar for four years, establishing the guild she so dearly loved, Fairy Tail. He could not deny her request, could not deny her anything actually, so he halted his plans to return to Alvarez and remained by her side.

Her curse, they found out, was twisted into something unique compared to Zeref's. By Ankhseram perhaps, but Zeref did not want to voice out that he had conversed with the god. Perhaps it was because she was unaware of the repercussions of Law, or did not maliciously try to break the cycle of life and death and had just wanted to save her friends, but whatever the reason, Mavis could interact with people to a longer extent, could be normal around them for a measured amount of time. She only avoided those who were in the brink of life and death, for Mavis was almost inconsolable when she happened to cause the deaths of a starving old man and his newborn granddaughter as she tried to help them off the streets. She had all the sorrow in the world to offer, and Zeref could only console her in her sadness.

She caused the end for those hanging between life and death. Infants and old people, those sick with disease and ailments. She could not approach them, was helpless in their pain. Mavis could quicken their deaths or steal the life freshly given. The First Master of Fairy Tail could only interact with a few and when the guild began to pile up with children, she had no choice but to bar herself.

Orphans and starving waifs and abandoned ones with no place to stay. She took them in, but would send Pretch or one of the older members to offer them membership and give them food and shelter and money instead, because they never ran out of provisions, with an emperor at their backing.

If providing material needs to the children she could not physically comfort could ease Mavis's sadness, then Zeref would offer Alvarez's entire treasury in a heartbeat.

But it was now time for Zeref to depart, as the demands of a kingdom were vast and he had been gone for far too long for Alvarez to remain stable. He would have gladly abandon the empire for Mavis, would abandon the world for her and live their life together, but she protested at the idea.

"You will not risk millions of lives for me," she said. "If it took us leaving Fairy Tail behind in order for you to stabilize Alvarez, then we'll do so the moment the guild is in good hands."

Zeref could only kiss her in gratitude, for not once did she ever imply that he would go alone without her. For a heartbeat, he thought that he would go alone, communicating with her solely through the curse that afflicted them both. But now it dawned on him that he need not worry. She had always included him in her plans, and she always included herself in his.

And besides, Mavis had shrugged to hide her blush, the guild was getting too popular and too dangerous for her to be around. As much as she loved its members, it ached that she could never be around them. And the guild deserved a master that could listened to them personally and was there not only in spirit but also in presence. The more the guild grew, the more people felt her absence, because she can only mingle with a select chosen. And grow they did, with younger members entering every day, which was a risk in itself considering the nature of her curse.

The Council was another cause of danger, as rumors of Mavis's supposed vitality was reaching their ears. Mavis was beloved by the guild and by the people, but it only took rigorous research to find out that her youth was caused by a curse afflicted to her by very laws of the world. She would be shunned, and while she could bear the idea as long as Zeref was with her, Mavis did not want the same fate to befall upon her guild.

So to Alvarez it was, and Mavis shook her head at Zeref's suggestions about other countries they could go and visit, other places they could start anew. To Alvarez they must go, because Zeref had given their people hope even if he didn't intend to, and he should continue what he started.

"They are your people," Mavis intoned, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Uncaring you may seem, I know you care in your own way."

' _In my own way,'_ Zeref thought derisively. By treating them as pawns in a chessboard was the extent of care Zeref could show. He could cure their economy, arrange their military, advice their politicians. But he treated them as a bulk, an anonymous entity, a sea of nameless people. They call him emperor, when he could hardly care for any of them.

But Mavis…

He tenderly curled a strand of her hair around his fingers, eyes soft at her sleeping figure.

 _She would make a good empress…_

"My empress." he pressed a kiss on her lips, and settled beside her to keep vigil as she slumbered.

* * *

"I'm _what_?!"

The Emperor of Alvarez groaned internally at the shell-shocked look on his lover's face. He and Mavis were descending the prior ship they took from Hargeon, making a stop in an island where their actual entourage awaited. Not one person from Ishgar knew that Zeref was Emperor, and all the needs and accommodations they used were through the assistance of spies from the rivaling country. They were about to set sail on Erlano, the imperial vessel of Alvarez accompanied by the royal fleet, when Mavis burst out at one of the attendants.

"A… a thousand apologies!" the attendant stuttered. "There was no intention of disrespect, your Majesty—"

"Wait, wait! No, that was it! Why are you calling me ' _your Majesty_ '?" There was a note of hysteric dread in her voice that meant she was just concluding something right now.

"Oh, dear gods." Zeref murmured, massaging his temple. Don't tell him…

The attendant thought it was an actual question. "B-because you're the Empress?"

The stunned look on Mavis's face told him that she had already figured it out the moment someone called her 'Majesty' but the confirmation hit the nail home. He sighed in exasperation, and wondered how the Fairy Tactician, one of the most brilliant minds of Ishgar (that he was claiming for Alvarez, he added ruefully), could miss such a blatant thing.

"Honestly, Mavis. Let's discuss this inside, shall we?" He said and before she could yell or hit him in the head (either reaction was possible), Zeref swept her off her bare feet and carried her bridal-style into their quarters.

He never had anyone else here, Zeref thought nostalgically as he entered his suite and opened the doors with a wave of magic. It always amazed him how he never had to do anything alone anymore, and how he had never felt tired of Mavis's presence, the only person who could ever be near him.

He laid her gently on the bed and sat beside her, waiting for her to come out of her reverie.

"I don't want it." She breathed out a few seconds later, eyes slightly glassy.

Zeref nodded. That was why she would make a good leader, a good empress. Power belonged to those who did not seek it. "I know."

"You're going to do it anyway," Mavis said, a hint of accusation in her voice.

He shrugged. "Is there any other probability besides? And how big was the possibility that I would make you my empress, anyhow?"

"A measly 0.012 for any other possibility," Mavis said softly, slumping her arms on her knees. "And 99.988 as your empress."

He hesitated, hating himself for asking. "Do you not want to be?"

Because as much as it pained him, he would let her go if she only but asked. And he would have her as his empress, as his equal by his side, never a secret from the rest of the kingdom. She was his and he would show it to the world. He would accept nothing else.

Mavis's eyes cleared and she gave him a scolding glare. "Not for the reason you're thinking. Your burdens are mine, just as mine is yours. I love you, you know that."

The last part was said so softly that Zeref couldn't help but smile.

"So how did you miss it?"

She sighed, laying on the mattress, pulling Zeref with her. He acquiesced, settling her more comfortably in a half-embrace, her face to his chest because she loved to listen to his heartbeat for some reason.

"I just… didn't think this far," she began quietly. "I think I blocked this part and prevented myself from reaching conclusions. It's just so foreign to me… I've never been out of Ishgar before."

Zeref chuckled and Mavis slapped his arm. It was a fearful thought then, that had prevented her from seeing this far. So he rolled them around the bed until he was hovering above her, smirking at the blush on her face.

"You don't have to be worried. They'll love you, just as much as I do. You're brilliant and warm and they'll adore you." He kissed her gently, thoroughly, driving away any fear or thought of rejection from her mind. When he deigned her to breathe, her eyes were glazed in pleasure and he padded his fingers at her swollen lips. "You'll be my empress."

She nodded, still dazed, and he smiled in triumph. But before he could continue loving her, she bought her hands up to his mouth, eyes narrowed.

"If that was your idea of proposing, then you've got another lecture coming up."

The Emperor's suite was warded to block any sound, but if the servants ever heard the ringing laughter of their sovereign, then they would both be astonished and gratified to know that their new empress could make him laugh.

* * *

 _Several decades later…_

Yajeel could see the absolute shock on Makarov's face upon learning the identity of Emperor Spriggan, beads of sweat dotting his face, body stiff at the revelation. He could not very well blame the Wizard Saint. To Ishgar he was a criminal of the highest degree but on Alvarez he was venerated, worshipped even. The jubilant cries and singing of the people were heartfelt as they welcomed the ruler who had been gone for a year.

"The procession is about to be finished," Yajeel grumbled out, indicating that the Emperor's carriage was nearing the palace. "We should get back inside."

The Spriggan 12 member led the master of Fairy Tail through the wide halls, passing by guards and a few wandering scholars and nobles. Makarov studied their expressions; some harried, distracted, haughty, focused… but one could not deny the ease of their actions, the air of contentment and satisfaction.

These people truly were happy under the rule of the Black Wizard.

"Here we are," Yajeel brought Makarov to the end of the hall, stopping by the closed doors. "I leave you here for the moment."

He turned his back on him as he strode away, and Makarov could only shake his head at the situation he was in. Steeling himself, he knocked on the doors twice and they automatically parted to let him in.

"Welcome, Makarov."

Makarov had opened his mouth to greet the emperor, to hopefully start a conversation without the urge to punch the Black Mage's face for all the transgressions he committed against his country, but before he could utter a word, the soft, feminine voice stopped him in his tracks.

Makarov knew that voice.

Makarov left the owner of that voice back at his guild, entrusting that she would keep vigil over their shared members with all her fierce protectiveness.

"Impossible," Makarov shook his head, backing away from the illusion. He was in enemy territory, and they were showing him such an absurd image of all things—

"Makarov," the illusion said in the same tone of amusement the First whenever she felt like they were too rowdy. "Calm down, will you? Your blood pressure will skyrocket."

He continued to shake his head, but he did as told. The illusion of Mavis Vermillion smiled and sat down, waving a hand at the ornate table where a selection of teas and biscuits appeared. She gestured him to sit.

"You're an illusion." Makarov stated, ignoring her request.

"Yes, I am." She said frankly, and there was humor in her eyes. Makarov didn't think anything amusing right now. "But only because you're old and decrepit and I don't want to cause your death. I'm by the flower gardens below, waiting for my husband."

"That doesn't make any sense," Makarov gritted out in rising fury.

"No, I suppose it doesn't." The illusion shrugged, a smile playing on her lips. "Let's see… How to prove I'm real. I did leave specific instructions before you departed for Alvarez. I told you to ward a room, drag Laxus inside, and the three of us talked about your mission from the Council."

Makarov stayed silent, gripping the handrail of the seat.

"I told you not to hesitate to take it. To keep faith in Fairy Tail, to hold on to your love for the guild, and I told you," here she paused, staring at him with those all too familiar green eyes. "I told you that help will come to every member who bore my mark if they asked."

' _Help will come to every Fairy Tail member if they only ask.'_

Those were the words she said, words that no one but he and Laxus had heard. He didn't want to believe it, but the proof in front of him and the feel of her familiar magic that was made all the more potent than any of her illusions could muster before, led Makarov to one damning conclusion.

"You're real," Makarov sat down in shock, unable to stand upright. She was different, _older_ , but she was real.

The founder of Fairy Tail sat before him not in the image of a child, but a young woman. This was Mavis Vermillion he was looking at, but at the same time she was not.

She was no barefoot little blonde girl with winged clips on her floor-length hair, wearing a pink poofed-up gown. She wasn't floating on air, wasn't loud or childish. What stood before him was a lady.

She looked like she was just a few years younger than his kids, a few years younger than Natsu and Erza and Lucy and Gray, somewhere between sixteen or seventeen. The childish features of her face was replaced with soft angles and high cheekbones, all delicate and feminine. She had gained some height, a little taller but not that much, and her movements were graceful, nothing like her bouncy, upbeat attitude that hadn't looked out of place in the guild. She looked regal in a dress of pale green and white, and there were delicate bands of gold around her wrists. She was still barefoot, and it was another thing that just proved that she really was Mavis.

But now she looked like an ethereal forest nymph rather than the spirit stuck in a body of a child.

"What…what are you doing here, First? Why do you look as you are?" Makarov tensed at the implications. "Are you being kept captive?"

Mavis hesitated and decided to answer the least troublesome question. "Do I look like I'm being kept against my will?"

 _No_ , Makarov wanted to answer. She didn't look like she was captured. She looked hail, healthy… glowing even. But Makarov's own accommodations had been fit for a king in his year-long stay in Vistarion as well, yet in his mind he knew that he was still a prisoner.

Makarov couldn't think of any other reason why the First Master of Fairy Tail, who had been dead for so long, would be in enemy territory other than the idea that she was taken against her wishes. There had to be another reason, Lumen Histoire… Fairy Heart… anything. He didn't want to entertain the thought that she was here out of her own free will.

Against them.

Against Ishgar.

Against Fiore.

And most of all, against Fairy Tail.

Mavis opened her arms wide, looking remorseful. "I apologize that it took me this long to explain everything, especially as I had been with you for the past few years in spirit—"

She cut off her words with a squeak, looking around frantically. Her eyes gained a glassy look and a blush began to form on her cheeks. She was turning transparent.

"First?" Makarov leapt at his feet but it was too late, and her illusion abruptly disappeared.

"FIRST!"

* * *

The insistent feel of familiar lips roused Mavis from her meditation and she hummed pleasantly, winding her arms around his neck.

She murmured against his mouth. "Should I add somnophilia to your list again—"

Zeref bit her lip sharply in reprimand, soothing it with a sweep of his tongue. She giggled, leaving him to pepper kisses on her face and neck. She could feel the urgency in his affections, and she allowed it. It had been weeks since they had seen each other, parting ways after six months of traveling together to pursue matters which needed their attention.

"Missed you," she whispered, kissing him back and leaning into his forehead. He gazed at her with insurmountable love and Mavis could feel her heart swell at the sight of him.

Zeref settled her in his lap, nuzzling her neck. He was still wearing formal clothes and the heavy material made it difficult for Mavis to snuggle properly but she didn't mind much. He held her tightly against him anyway. "I missed you too."

Here in the privacy of the gardens, they could pretend they were on their own, just for a little while. To push away the threat of war, the burden of their people, the weight of an empire, and just simply be Zeref and Mavis. No Emperor or Empress, Spriggan or Fairy, Black Mage or Tactician. They were together again and that was enough.

For a moment they stayed like that, basking in each other's presence, before they both felt the flare of an agitated magical signature, one that was too familiar to Mavis. Then they felt another familiar wave of magic, one that was both familiar to them this time, as it muted Makarov's magic into a submission of pure _pleasure_. Unfortunately it swept through both of them as well, and they shuddered at the surge of heightened decadence, unable to prevent their bodies from physically reacting. Both Mavis and Zeref sent the origin of magic a message of annoyance and it receded, but not before it sent them an answer of impish teasing.

"It _still_ disturbs me that he could do that to us," Mavis groused once they recovered. "Us of all people!"

Zeref sighed, focusing on their unwanted guest. "I still don't see the advantages of having your guild master here."

"You're just grumpy that we didn't get alone time." Mavis retorted childishly.

The emperor of Alvarez raised a brow in challenge, fingers haunting her waist. "Oh, and you're not?"

"We have a war to finish." She refused to back down and ignored the trailing arms below her hips.

"And that wasn't an answer." He smirked.

Mavis rolled her eyes but didn't protest when he buried his face in her curls.

"Mmm… Hiding in the gardens of all places. You just had to make me hunt for you."

"It calms me." Her breath hitched when his hands found the bare skin beneath her dress, ghosting upwards in an electrifying trail. What he was doing definitely didn't calm her right now. "Makes me meditate… meditate better."

"Why exactly do you need a projection today?" he breathed into her ear.

"To talk to Makarov—"

She yelped at the harsh nip on her neck, looking chastised when Zeref lifted his eyes to look at her with irritation.

"I told you not to talk to him without me present." He said, gripping her thighs in place. His eyes were narrowed, and there were flecks of red appearing at his pupils. Mavis ignored it and frowned.

"You wouldn't let me talk to him at all!" she cried in indignation. "And don't you dare deny it."

Zeref leaned away from her slightly, grimacing in annoyance. Mavis knew him so very well that sometimes it was more of a headache than a boon. It was true that he didn't want any of her Fairy Tail children to know of her importance to Alvarez. Zeref would rather keep them in the dark, keep her a secret from them. Not only out of concern for her safety and involvement, but because of a petty, selfish desire to thin down her connection with anyone from Ishgar. Makarov was one of the rare people she still genuinely loved with all her heart, because she was his godmother and had given him his name. He was her link to Yuri Dreyar, one of the last origins of Fairy Tail.

Zeref knew that his desire was unfair and dishonorable considering the connection he has with younger brother that he cherishes to this day. He didn't care though. Zeref never claimed to be fair or honorable.

But Mavis was the only exception, the only person he would deceive out of concern but would bow down to any command she would give him at the same time. And besides…

"I knew you were stalling," came her exasperated voice. "And I'm getting impatient."

He could almost never lie to her.

Well hell. Zeref had initially left the empire with Mavis because of some truly alarming concerns, but it also served as a distraction for Mavis from meeting Makarov face to face, as she was determined to do. But some part of him knew that it was a hopeless case, that she knew even before they left Alvarez and that she was humoring him somewhat.

She wasn't Alvarez's prime strategist for nothing. She didn't head Intelligence and Interrogation in name only.

 _In the face of deceit, make way for the truth._ Zeref shrugged and admitted that he lost this one. Besides, an impatient Mavis was a reckless Mavis, and a reckless Mavis was definitely more dangerous.

"There's nothing else to do about it then," He lifted her up, brushing the flower petals from their person. "We'll see him together."

Mavis blinked and shook her head. "Not personally."

Zeref smiled in comfort. "Yes, personally. He's not dying, Mavis. He won't be affected by your curse. I bet he still kicks like a horse."

She snorted. "He held his own against Acnologia, does that count?"

"Oh, yes. I have forgotten about that." Zeref hummed as he twined his hands with hers. Yuri's brat had the magic of Titan, the ability to enlarge physically.

"But I still don't—"

"You _will_ see him personally, Mavis." Zeref said. "Be polite."

She made a derisive sound and opened her mouth to spout off something cheeky, and Zeref realized that the more they prolonged this talk, the longer it would be before Zeref could bed her so he hauled her behind his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and began marching towards Makarov's direction.

The few people they encountered only giggled at the sight of their ruler nonchalantly carrying his wife amidst her shrieks and threats of physical injury.

* * *

Makarov downed a cup of tea, wishing it was something stronger. Yajeel was sitting in front of him, half-amused at his predicament.

"You just caught her at a… bad time," He told the short guild master. How could he exactly explain that Makarov's precious First disappeared because the amorous attentions of the emperor left her distracted? "But she's fine."

"I couldn't take your word for that alone," Makarov grumbled back. He wanted to rage around the palace, peace talks be damned, but the odd magic earlier left him feeling serene, much to his frustration. Damn it, he couldn't even _do_ frustrated. He felt extremely contented that it made him want to be grumpy but he couldn't muster enough energy.

"I know you won't," Yajeel nodded. "So you might want to hear it from her directly."

The doors opened, and Makarov turned his head just as Yajeel announced, "Presenting, His Majesty Emperor Spriggan, first of his name, Protector and King of the Alvarez Empire, General of the Army beyond, Leader of the Spriggan 12. And," Yajeel paused dramatically over muffled yells. "Her Majesty Empress Elphame, first of her name, Mother and Queen of the Alvarez Empire, Chief Strategist, Judge of the Grand Order."

"Put me down, you big brute!" Mavis continued to scream over Zeref's shoulder.

"See, Mavis? Your worries were for naught. He doesn't look like he's about to drop dead," Zeref set her down to her feet, ignoring her fury. He paused and studied Makarov closely. "Well, he does. Just not because of your curse. But he does look like he's going to have a heart attack."

She whirled around and dug her elbow in his chest, which he parried with a raised brow. Makarov could only gape at their antics and at the differences he could see between the illusion before and now.

Earlier, the First Master's golden hair was flowing freely just as Makarov knew she liked, how she walked around the guild with her wild golden curls bouncing free and bare of anything but those tiny winged clips, but now… Now it was pinned up in an elegant arrangement, fluidly falling on her waist, decorated with crystals and beads and tiny white flowers, with wisps of shiny blonde strands falling around her face.

But the biggest difference was the golden circlet around her forehead. It was beautiful, a thin, delicate thing, the sophisticated twists and twines over melded gold and precious stones forming the crest of Alvarez at the very middle. There was an emerald at its center, the same shade as her eyes.

 _Emperor and Empress…_

"You are the Empress of Alvarez." Makarov uttered, finding no other explanation for this. For her presence, for her camaraderie with Zeref, for the deference in the tone Yajeel had announced her with.

He had heard that Alvarez had an Empress, but the scant information Ishgar could gather about her indicated that the people were protective of her, were selfish at the thought of outsiders gaining knowledge of her, and regarded her in a different, more affectionate manner than their emperor. The emperor was spoken of with deference and pride. There was awe and respect in their hushed tones, like he was a distant god that provided for them silently. But their empress was their matriarch, the heart of the kingdom, and there was much warm love from the people for woman who held the title.

The emperor had the kingdom's respect, and his name gave the people of Alvarez the motivation of duty, patriotism and courage to defend their country.

But the empress had the kingdom's fondness, and her name gave the people of Alvarez the sentiments of solidarity, heart, and love for their country.

A frightening pair, according to the Council. Because one could break a kingdom's confidence if their leader was looked on with respect and duty alone. Respect and duty were emotions of the mind. Sully the leader's name and dirty their history and soldiers will reject an ineffective ruler. But coupled with love and blind faith, the people will fight to their deaths and beyond.

The Emperor alone was a threat, but with the Empress, Alvarez could very well be untouchable.

Mavis smiled softly, straightening from her offended posture into a stance more befitting for the queen that she was. Zeref took a step beside her, curving an arm on her waist protectively.

"I am." She said in the gentlest voice she could muster.

"And you have a good explanation for this?" Makarov insisted. "You have not betrayed Fairy Tail?"

Zeref made a noise of offense but Mavis ignored him. "I have an explanation. And I swear on my honor as Fairy Tail's founder and first master that I have not betrayed Ishgar, Fiore or Fairy Tail."

That was all it took for Makarov to slump in relief. "I think I need a drink."

* * *

"So…" Makarov squinted, frowning as Mavis poured them a fresh batch of tea. "Empress Elphame."

Zeref was slouched by the balustrade, ignoring them both, but Makarov didn't delude himself into thinking that he wasn't listening in on every word.

"Elphame. A title. The elfin Queen of Faerie." Mavis said, offering Makarov a cup.

Makarov made an indistinct sound, accepting the steaming tea. "From the legend of Thomas the Rhymer."

She smiled beautifully. "You know your legends and myths. That's good."

"Elphame kidnapped men and gave them the gift of prophecy." Makarov said. "She was also revered as a goddess."

Mavis blinked once, eyes glazing for a second, and shot a glare at the Black Mage, who smirked in reply. Makarov didn't want to know what he was telepathically saying, so he sipped the warm liquid, only to sputter and cough and the amount of alcohol it contained.

Zeref's muted chuckles could be heard behind Mavis's frantic apologies. Makarov waved it both away as he downed a glass of water.

"I thought you might want something stronger after your ordeal so I dabbed it with a bit of alcohol," she explained, running a hand through her hair agitatedly. "It's Glenshire scotch… I learned that Alvarez's alcohol is a tad more potent than Ishgar's. I apologize again."

"Just didn't expect the kick. But it's good." Makarov snorted. It _was_ good, he could already feel the warmth spreading from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. "But we're getting off-topic, First… Elphame and Spriggan? The elfin queen and the sprite of nightmares."

"Zeref loves the parallels between us. Dark and light, fairy and spriggan, Black Mage and Fairy Tactician. He and August continues to debate on it," she rolled her eyes at the emperor.

"And how exactly… did this come to happen?" Makarov pleaded. "How are you with Zeref, the Black Mage of all people? And why isn't he…"

"Crazy?" Mavis prompted.

Makarov had more offending descriptions actually but he nodded. "To say the least."

"I'm thinking more among the lines of evil, tyrannical, or insane." Zeref said casually and Makarov could only palm his head at the easy way the scourge of Ishgar talked about his supposed deteriorated mentality.

"Hush, dear." Mavis chastised, facing Makarov with intent. "You wish to know the history behind us, behind me and Zeref."

"Yes." Makarov needed to know. Needed to know why and how…

"Very well, Makarov." Mavis hummed. She placed her tea down and folded her hands on her lap. Her eyes were wistful, distant.

" _This is the story of a cursed boy… and a cursed girl."_

* * *

And so Makarov received the unbelievable truth behind Mavis and Zeref. How they met, fell in love, and decided to leave Ishgar for Alvarez. How they built the kingdom into the stronghold it was today, as the Emperor and Empress beloved by the people.

"You… you got married?" Makarov blurted out, flabbergasted. He didn't want to look at the Black Mage at all, pinning his stare at the apparent empress of Alvarez. It was just too… uncomfortable to know that the first master of Fairy Tail was together with this man.

"We are Emperor and Empress. It defeats the purpose if we're not married." the Black Mage said pleasantly, and no, Makarov still refused to look at him.

"It was a ceremonial wedding," Mavis said vaguely. "Zeref and I didn't need the confirmation from others, we were together in all the sense of the word, but our people wanted something more tangible. A history they could celebrate, you could say. So we were bonded into matrimony during the summer solstice, in front of millions of people."

She waved her hand and an image of two people shimmered into being, of the Black Mage and the First Master on their wedding day, in robes of complimenting white and gold colors, the colors of newlyweds and royalty. Their attire were the finest and grandest Makarov had ever seen, the crowns on their heads even more so. There were looks of elation in both of their faces, of happiness and love.

He looked away.

Mavis dispelled the image. "What else do you wish to know?"

What else? A million questions, Makarov wanted to say.

"The grave in Tenroujima… The grave of the First Master. I know that it was a monument, but what fuels Tenroujima if not your spirit?" Makarov asked. For the island had one of the most potent magical atmospheres in Ishgar, one that the Magic Council had yearned to study if not for Fairy Tail's objections.

"I tied an anchor in the middle of the island for it to constantly siphon my magic. It does so gradually, little by little, until it became the island you see today." Mavis replied.

"But you showed yourself to us, after Acnologia's attack. You protected us with Fairy Sphere."

"Yes," Mavis nodded, grimacing a bit at the memory. Even if Aconologia was on tense speaking terms with her husband, she had disliked the dragon instantly, and disliked him even more when he attacked her guild even if it was only because of Precht's maliciousness that bought him there. Fairy Sphere was the only solution she could think of at that critical moment, and it took her years to dispel it. She had to go in and out of trance every day, and the monumental effort and amount of magic she had to use had displeased Zeref greatly, because her health at that time was very much compromised.

"And after? During the Grand Magic Games, the attack of the dragons, the Eclipse Gate… Were you deceiving all of us? Were you in Alvarez all along?" Makarov couldn't help the note of accusation in his voice.

Zeref narrowed his eyes in displeasure but Mavis gave him a look.

"As you well know, illusions are my best forms of Magic." Mavis said, turning back to Makarov. "The spirit that followed you during the S-Class trials and beyond was of my own image, a clone if you will. Like I said, I was still recovering from trying to dispel Fairy Sphere after several years so I triggered a failsafe in Tenroujima that would guide you throughout your journey. It was a mirror of myself. Not entirely me, but an imprint of when I was younger."

"An imprint." Makarov parroted, eyes wide. The magic beyond it was incredible. Creation Magic was a great feat in itself, but to mold a being of your own image, down to the magic and memories, was amazing. "Of when you were younger… you mean…"

"This form," Mavis indicated her adolescent body. "Is another illusion. A very powerful one that is almost akin to physical alteration. I might as well be this old already since it's not just a trick of the eye but the magic practically transforms me to this age." She looked at him, a half-quirk in her lips. "I couldn't be an Empress as a child. Or as Zeref's wife. The accusations would be plenty. I still remember Yuri calling Zeref a pedophile."

They both saw the Black Mage fidget and tense and Mavis let out a giggle.

"I see…" Makarov said, because he couldn't really think of anything else to say. But it was pretty ballsy of his father to call the Black Mage a child molester to his face.

"I couldn't directly control my imprint's actions, because well… she was me. Only without the knowledge of Zeref or Alvarez or being empress. Just as Mavis of Fairy Tail. Everything she did was something I would have done had I remained as her. And I was receiving her memories, reacting to what was happening too." Mavis trailed off. "So you could say that it was both me and wasn't at the same time. The spirit was Mavis Vermillion, just not who I am as a whole."

There was silence.

A knock on the door resounded through the room and Makarov jumped in surprise.

"Enter," Mavis called.

"Apologies for the disruption, your majesties." A young man with spectacles and a great amount of magic entered. "But the Emperor is being requested at the council as of the moment."

"Invel, running yourself ragged as always?" Mavis teased just as Zeref stood upright from his position.

"Not more than usual, my queen." Invel said and there was a tinge of cordiality in his stiff voice. "I certainly do not need another vacation, just as you insisted I take when you suspected me of gaining a fever two weeks ago."

"Well, you needed one!"

"I am ice personified, your majesty." And now there was a note of exasperation in his voice. "I do not get fevers."

"You need the vacation, I mean."

Invel raised a brow. "I need to work, your majesty. And no, you may not take up my paperwork in my absence. You are the _empress_."

"Bah! Your staff are getting more and more uptight," Mavis accused just as Zeref passed her. "I'm head of intelligence! But they don't let me do anything!"

"They want to wait on you hand and foot," he teased. Both Makarov and Invel looked away when he kissed her tenderly, one out of awkwardness, the other out of respect.

"The title of Emperor suits him greatly," Mavis intoned in a soft voice once Invel and Zeref left, stirring her teacup absently. "He… cares for the people as a whole, but does not value one citizen's life over the other. He weighs options and makes decision that will benefit the many. That is how he manages his curse."

Makarov hesitated. "And what of Lumen Histoire, First?"

"Ah, Lumen Histoire. Both my greatest work and folly." Mavis said, sighing. "The concept behind Lumen Histoire is true. I am, or rather my body and very being, is a source of unlimited magic."

Makarov's eyes widened.

"The crystal containing my supposed body below the guild is another anchor sapping away my strength. It is like Ethernano in a way that it contains large amounts of magic. A tiny shard could possibly power Etherion once."

"What is its purpose if you're alive right now?" Makarov implored.

"A diversion, a final stand, and a drain," Mavis marked away with dainty fingers. "A diversion in the sense that every Fairy Tail guild master would believe that it was really me inside. Even Precht believed that theory when my so-called body was presented to him. Nobody would believe that I was alive and well in Alvarez," She ticked off a finger. "Second. A final stand for Fairy Tail, as it's an almost unlimited source of power, being tied to me. The guild could use it in times of need. And lastly," she held up a remaining finger. "A drain on my magic. To stabilize me. Like I said, my very body is a source of unlimited magic. It is…" she grimaced. "Very uncomfortable. Whenever my magic gets too much for me to handle, I go into a trance to allow my subconscious to… flush out the excessive magic. It distresses my… well. Suffice to say, Zeref isn't happy about it."

Makarov shook his head. "So Zeref knows of its existence as well."

"He was the one who named it Fairy Heart," Mavis nodded, smiling slightly. "That man… he does love his dramatics."

They both fell silent and an air of melancholy surrounded Mavis.

"I've always wanted to go back to Fiore," She said. "But I could never leave the family I've built here. Fairy Tail will always have a place here," she gestured to her heart. "But it is no longer solely my dream, but yours and the other members as well. I am its past and you and your children are its future, Makarov." She smiled. "But it doesn't mean I didn't look out for the guild as much as I could. Have you ever wondered why the guild headquarters have never been sold or fallen into disrepair despite the disappearance of its core members during the S-Class exams?"

"We kept the main building," Makarov said, eyes widening at the implications. It had been a pleasant shock to him, because when the problem of Fairy Tail's revenue was reported to him by Blue Pegasus, informing him that the guild was technically bankrupt, he had expected a ramshackle of a hut as their new headquarters. But the large Fairy Tail building was there, worn and rundown and decrepit, but still theirs. Macao had explained, that when the rival guilds went to the government to insist that Fairy Tail should sell the land and building to pay off their debts, the officials refused, saying that the land was Fairy Tail's in perpetuity and could never be sold. "Then you—"

Mavis nodded. "I wanted you to return to a home that was still solely yours. Of course, I couldn't instantly solve the problem of your monetary debt without arousing questions from authorities—the fourth guild master is terrible at handling money, by the way— but I did my best to ease the burden without suspicion, and the land itself I made non-transferrable so as long as there was a Fairy Tail member alive and living." Mavis smiled deviously. "And technically, had the remaining guild members left and disband during your seven-year disappearance, the contract is magic-tight and would only be broken upon the abandonment and death of _every_ Fairy Tail member. And, well…"

She trailed off and Makarov could only marvel at the ingenuity. Because none of the guild members who accompanied him to Tenroujima ever died, only remained in stasis for seven years, so if the guild had disbanded on their absence, no one would be able to claim the land Fairy Tail sat on anyway, because not every Fairy Tail member were dead. And it might have even alerted their ally guilds, Blue Pegasus or Lamia Scale, that Fairy Tail was still out there somewhere…

But Makarov had another, more pressing concern. "Alvarez had been attacking Ishgar for years. How do you explain this, First?"

"Oh, that." Mavis frowned. "Zeref should really be the one to explain this to you but… Anyway, it all started when a group of dissenters believed that Alvarez, as the more powerful country, should subjugate Ishgar. Of course I was quick to protest—"

And here Makarov learned of a great conspiracy about the two warring countries, of brothers, of dragon slayers, of Acnologia.

Everyone's world is going to turn upside down.

* * *

"You sent Ajeel after him," Mavis said in disapproval, watching a cloud of dust form from afar, indicating that Makarov and the others were getting away. Mavis had been talking to Makarov, fiddling with the teapot, and had turned back just in time to see Mest whisk Makarov away. The teleporter of the guild didn't see Mavis herself though, and when Mavis told her husband of the situation, he just nodded and smiled. She should have known that he would send one of his guards after them.

"Just let him play. I told him not to harm your fairies," Zeref said, pulling her in his embrace.

Mavis sighed. "I suppose it would do him some good. Erza and the other could easily beat him after all."

There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Oh? Care to wager?"

A knock on the door prevented her from replying. The magical signature was familiarly theirs, and Mavis could feel Zeref tense.

"May I come in?" was the polite question. "Mother? Father?"

Zeref sighed, untangling himself from Mavis.

"You may, Larcade." She replied back, sadly looking at the place where Zeref disappeared in silence.

Their son entered the room, looking disappointed when he didn't spot his father anywhere. He was wearing his dragon skin slip, much to Mavis's relief.

The very first reason why Mavis deigned to learn the highest form of illusion magic was for her to be able to interact and care for their child. Larcade was a child of contradiction, a child of two cursed ones, and his was such a peculiar existence, that Mavis thanked all the stars in the heavens that she was alive to be there for him as he grew up, even as it was only through a copy of her. He was different from other children, far more aware and intelligent, and Mavis didn't even want to think of how Larcade could have grown up without a mother, especially as Zeref could never be alone with him for too long.

 _He would have grown up so unhappy…_

But Mavis was here and was able to guide her little boy, even it was through her illusions only. Larcade grew up a bit different, a bit out of place, a little like Zeref, a little like Mavis. He was awkward around people, a tad too calm, and was constantly confused about social norms that it was almost adorable most of the time.

She knew Zeref wanted to be with him, wanted to spend time with their son, but due to the severity of his curse, he could only exchange a few words with him before Larcade would trigger his emotions, unleashing the death curse. Larcade's dragon scale slip, the same his Uncle Natsu possessed that came from an ancient dragon and could absorb most of the deadly magic, was enough of a protection against the curse.

Mavis was just thankful that her curse never reacted around Larcade.

She thinks she might just die from that kind of heartbreak.

"Are you really going back to Ishgar on your own, mother?" Larcade asked tentatively, sitting beside her.

"Of course, little prince." She answered affectionately. Larcade had told her before not to call him by that endearment anymore, but Mavis knew he secretly liked it and continued to call him so despite continued protests. Sure enough, he smiled shyly, an echo of his father's smile.

"But why not come with us instead? We're going to Ishgar soon anyway."

"I need to explain to the guild. Makarov might be too rattled to give out a proper explanation." Mavis said. "And besides, it makes your father uncomfortable to see me in my child form. I want to see him squirm."

Larcade's soft laugh was enough to brighten up Mavis's darkest days.

* * *

Fairy Tail and the Spriggan 12 met on the battlefield, Mavis leading her guild and Zeref at the front of his royal entourage. The first Fairy Tail master laughed softly at the look of distaste in Zeref's face as he looked at her up and down. He had grown too fond of her grown-up physique.

"I still don't buy that you're married, Master Mavis," Laxus grumbled beside her. "Isn't it a bit… pedophilic?"

Everyone startled as Mavis burst into hysterical laughter. The Dreyar's words caught her off guard, as such, she couldn't help her surprised outburst.

Zeref tsked in irritation, entirely reminded of Yuri. "You're too much like your great-grandfather."

Laxus just glared back, keeping a protective vigil over both Makarov and the First.

"It seems you're missing a few members, Mavis." Zeref noted the absence of some of their strongest. His brother for one, was not present.

The empress of Alvarez stopped laughing abruptly and narrowed her eyes. "And who's fault is that?"

"Mine, I confess." Zeref stepped forward. "It seems that some of my guards have a bone to pick with your fairies."

Namely August and Crime Sorciere and Eileen and Erza. Some of the Spriggan also left to 'fetch' the other wayward fairies, but Mavis knew that they'd be poking her guild members to fight. She knew that some of them were sore that she supposedly regarded her fairies with more affection than she did to them, even if it wasn't true. Several squads and platoons were out of ranks, and she could hear fighting in the distance. Hopefully it would attract the attention of the being they wanted to face. Their son wasn't present either and Mavis didn't know if she should be worried or amused that he went to 'talk' to his uncle.

A flash of magic, and Eileen appeared, bringing with her half of Crocus and the whole palace of Mercurius. A rattled Princess Hisui and King Toma were a few feet away from the Scarlet Despair, who didn't deign them with another look and turned to both Zeref and Mavis instead, which was quite a feat as they were on opposite ends.

"By your leave, your Majesties." She bowed respectfully, although Mavis could hear the impatience in her voice.

"Go, Eileen." Zeref inclined his head.

"Injure, Eileen. Injure only. Test her not to the brink of death," Mavis warned sternly.

"Of course, empress." Eileen replied, but there was a sulky tone to it.

She disappeared, and they were left with the sovereigns of Ishgar standing in the middle of both sides. Zeref hummed, wondering how to open the discussion. He shot a look at Mavis, who smirked at him in challenge. He sniffed. He hated diplomatic relations.

But before he could open his mouth, he felt the familiar wave of pleasurable magic that could only come from his son. Again, both Mavis and Zeref sent Larcade a message of annoyance and chastisement, and he stopped immediately. Still, the mischievous answer from him made both parents sigh in exasperation.

The others weren't so lucky, and all around them, men and women were shakily getting up their feet after feeling the effects of the onslaught of gratification.

"Control your son." Zeref told her, crossing his arms.

"Oh, so he's _my_ son now?" Mavis tapped her bare feet.

"He's obviously my son when he's dignified and calm. He inherited his juvenile attitude from you."

Every married man cringed at the words and at the obvious rising fury of the wife. Apparently, even the Black Mage didn't know how to keep his mouth shut in the face of an enraged spouse. Happy wife, happy life.

And wait, _**what?!**_

"SON?!" Wakaba yelled out, elbowing Macao out of the way. "The First and the Black Mage Zeref has a kid?!"

"Since when?!"

"HOW?"

The Fiore side burst into chaotic cacophony, rowdy yells, and general disorder.

"In remembrance to the time I first bought you to Alvarez, I'd like to note that like you, your guildmates are just as clueless in the face of something so obvious, my _empress_." Zeref smiled pleasantly, still needling his wife.

"EMPRESS?!"

"Hell, what?!"

"What the heck is going on?!"

"I don't care about the empress part. Them having a kid just proves that the emo guy is really into little girls." Laxus quipped.

Zeref twitched and turned to Mavis. "Can I—"

"No."

"But—"

"Father, mother. I brought uncle with me."

They all turned to the serene voice and found Larcade half-dragging Natsu towards their camps. Lucy and Happy were trailing a few feet away and Mavis just shook her head at the amount of bruises in Natsu's body. The cheerful smile on her son's face told her that he managed to fight out much of his frustration on his uncle.

"Uncle? I'm an uncle, yeah? Hey, are you a dragon slayer too?!" Natsu asked fervently, staring at Larcade with excited eyes.

"You do know that the fire dragon Igneel wasn't your biological father," Larcade said delicately, cocking his head in confusion. "It is therefore a foolish assumption that we would hold the same kind of magic, as dragon slayer magic cannot be inherited. And there is the rarity of dragons to consider as well."

"You talk big like Lucy," Natsu complained, trotting towards the Celestial Mage despite his injuries and shaking her shoulder, pointing at his nephew. "Hey, Lucy I think I found your twin! He's blonde like you!"

"You idiot! He looks like you, not me! He just told you you're his uncle!" she yelled incredulously, bonking the pinkette in the head. "And what do you mean I talk big? And I'm not related to every blonde you see!"

"Really? Cause Laxus likes to talk big too—"

"He's boasting! That's a different kind of talking big!"

The Alvarez prince raised a brow at the squabbling pair.

"Mother, I think he's broken." Larcade said to Mavis and she couldn't help but laugh. "Really, I don't see father's fascination about him."

"To each his own, darling." Mavis said indulgently.

"Hopefully this mess would attract Acnologia." Makarov grunted. "I don't like my children getting hurt, Master Mavis."

On cue, a large explosion resounded on the west and two clashing magic went into a frenzy. Everyone shuddered at the bloodlust they could sense even a few miles from them.

"That would be Eileen and Erza." Mavis noted, then turned to Makarov's stony face. "Don't worry Makarov. I'll see you all through this alive."

He made an indistinct noise and looked away. She smiled and made her way to Zeref, touching her son's arm lightly when she passed him as he continued to stare at his rowdy Uncle like he was a bug he couldn't figure out.

"I think I may need to delve inside Natsu's heart," Zeref muttered when she reached him. Despite the protests of most of her guild, he took her a few distance away from them. "He seems… underwhelmed with all this. I should impress on him the seriousness of out predicament."

"Do what you must, Zeref." Mavis encouraged, the dulcet tones of Happy and Lucy at the background making her smile. "We need all the spirit we can get."

"After this is all over, I'd like to be alone with you for a decade or two." Zeref said wistfully, kissing her temple.

"And leave Larcade in charge?"

"Gods, no. We'd come back to a kingdom of monks and hedonists." Zeref immediately protested, and Mavis laughed at the imagery. "I was thinking August, of course. Our son would most likely follow us wherever we go, being the mama's boy he is."

"And we'll look for a cure for you curse." Mavis whispered. "Both our curses."

He hugged her tightly. "Let's hope that we live as long as that."

"We will." Mavis closed her eyes. "Of course we will."

Just as they stood together years ago when he found her wallowing in the misery of her curse, they stand against the world once more to face their biggest threat. Not as alone as they were before, as they have their kingdom and their son, but they stand together nevertheless.

And that was all the mercy they needed.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Bwahahaha, I'm done. Finally another completed fanfic. Feel free to pick out any inconsistencies from the story and the manga, and I'll try to get back on it. This is unbeta-ed, so wrong grammar might be noted. But I absolutely cannot believe it took me _*checks*_ 33 pages and 12k words for this fanfic alone. Just goes to show how much I love Zervis and how much I suffer from the lack of quality fanfic about them. So if you have any Zervis fanfics you'd like to recommend, send them my way, k?

 **Elphame** is another title for Fairy Queen, and the thing about Thomas the Rhymer is true too. As is the Queen's tendency to steal guys and give them powers.

 **Larcade** is here because I'm curious about him (and his pervy magic) but his conception is left out from the fanfic because heck, I have no idea how Mashima's going to spin this. So I'm going to wait for his pedo-loli explanation. Heck, that part was okay for me since Mavis is technically 118+, and pregnant thirteen year olds were nothing during the Middle Ages (Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, anyone?). But the part that really bothers me is that the manga is hinting that Mavis has no idea about having a kid. So basically, Zeref is an official creeper unless Mashima could give him a good excuse.

Read and review~

Memory out!


	2. Snippet: Larcade

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail because if I did, then I wouldn't be that much of a troll as Mashima Hiro, aka 'Trollshima'.

 **A/N:** Argh, this pairing wouldn't leave me alone! So a few snippets it is, into the life of the most dysfunctional family in the universe who lives in my AU world. First up, Larcade. Reading the main chapter is recommended but not required. Just understand that Mavis is alive in my AU if you don't want to read it.

 **Warnings:** Much angst, Mavis alive and spoiling her baby, fatherly love (because Zeref's love is lethal and needs its own warning), blatant abuse and underestimation of Ankhseram's curse

* * *

 **I. Notes**

 **OOO-OOO**

Larcade was a prince. His mother was an empress and his father was an emperor, but everyone kept saying that they were good rulers too, so Larcade wanted to be a _good_ prince too.

To be good you had to excel in everything, so Larcade was more diligent with his studies, extra careful about being nice to others, and made it a point to be polite and tried not to get in other people's way. He didn't know if it made him a _good_ prince but he kept trying.

His mother at least certainly thinks so, because she showered him with kisses and hugs and it made Larcade warm and happy and bright inside whenever she told him how wonderful he was. But his father never told him anything, was never around really.

And Larcade tried to understand, because it had something to do with the time he tried to surprise his father one morning and ended up choking a sheet of suffocating darkness. He woke up with his mother hysterical by his side, his father predictably absent, and once Larcade's health was well they disappeared for weeks. They returned with his father more distant than ever, more closed off and aloof, and if his mother's hugs were tighter than usual he didn't say anything.

Larcade sometimes wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, wanted to hide away and blame himself even though his mother assured him it was not his fault. She had explained why he had to stay away, how his father couldn't live with himself if he killed his own child and how his mother would assuredly look for a way to kill him herself if it happened.

It helped that his father had a reason for his distance but it didn't make the hurt go away. Didn't help how Larcade hated that his father was forced not to love him lest he killed him.

But he was a _good_ prince, so he tried to be polite. Tried not to get in their way.

At eight years old, Larcade had already impressed his tutors by finishing the curriculum equal to that of a fifth year student at the Imperial Academy. His mother was delighted and went to prepare a tea party after exclaiming over how proud of him she was.

He smiled faintly at the silence of his room, the tips of his ears still red at his mother's proud cuddles, until he heard a slight rustle by his bedchambers. Curious, he lifted the curtains and was greeted to the sight of a tiny brown being with an eerily grinning face.

' _It looks like a puppet,'_ Larcade thought bemusedly, thinking about that one time his mother took him to the Royal Theatre for a children's show. The puppet-like being panicked at his attention and skittered away, tiny purple-black cape flapping.

It left something, much to his surprise. A small wooden chest. After checking it for hexes or curses, he decided it was safe. It contained a few yellowing scrolls in bronze tubes, and Larcade was delightedly shocked to find teachings on light magic when he unfurled them. These were topics he desperately wanted to learn ever since his alignment towards light magic was revealed but didn't have the means to search about. He thought it was only available in the royal library…

A piece of paper fluttered to the ground and Larcade bent down to take it, realizing that it had been sitting on top of the strange chest and that he had ignored it in favor of opening the box instead. Flipping it open, he found a single word on it, written with a neat, elegant script.

 _Congratulations._

Heart beating faster, Larcade inspected the note with wide eyes. The ink was deeply embedded in the paper, as if writing the words came with a great strain and effort on the author's part. There was a curl in the way the letter 'c' was written, a little loop that was almost invisible. The letter 'o' was narrower, just like how Larcade wrote it. The way the letter 't' was slashed was the same as his too, slightly longer, angled upwards.

A gift that could only come from their family library, a small note of congratulations, and a person who can break into his quarters...

Only two people can enter his rooms without permission, and his mother preferred to voice out her praises.

So then the note...

It was from his father.

 _From his father!_

He inspected the note once more. He really had the same handwriting as his father...

Another beat later and his grin widened. _He had note and a gift from his father._

Larcade bounded out of his rooms and ran, feeling like he could bounce around all day.

 _Wait till his mother sees this!_

* * *

Years went by and those little messages and presents continued to come along with that little brown puppet.

 _Get well soon_ , was accompanied with a basket of fruits, sweets and a handful of board games enough to entertain a little boy during that one time Larcade was inflicted with dragon pox. It had brightened his sickly pallor more than any medicine could.

 _Well done_ , was delivered along with the second half of the scrolls Larcade had gotten from his father's first message. It was part of a set, and he had been too young to attempt to practice the second part. But he had finished the Imperial Academy curriculum in four years less and broke the records for the Civil Services Exam as its youngest taker so Larcade didn't think it would take him long to master it at all.

 _Be brave_ , was written with a casket filled with protective charms when he began his two-year sabbatical with Master Zhao in the mountains of Quigong in order to control his magic better. Larcade had been terrified, a thirteen-year old leaving the safety of the castle and his mother's arms, but the funny puppet appeared and Larcade read the note and slowly, he wasn't scared anymore.

 _Welcome back_ , came the evening he returned to the castle, and even though his father was absent during the gala party his mother arranged, Larcade smiled at the amount of heavy enchantments and protective runes inked into the two broadswords that appeared on his weapons drawer along with the now-familiar piece of paper folded neatly above it.

 _I'm proud of you,_ was the one Larcade treasures the most, not only because of the meaning of the words but because he had been given the opportunity to be his father's guard and prove his capabilities not only as a skilled magic user, but as a _good_ —no, _wonderful_ prince of Alvarez. There was no better gift.

And finally, it was the note he valued the most because it had contained an extra word at the end, a three-letter word that made Larcade feel his father's presence more strongly despite seeing him only a few times in his life.

Son.

 _I'm proud of you, son._

He could only imagine how much his father had struggled with his curse just to write that one word down.

Zeref had never called him that before. Never acknowledged him as his child.

And that was when Larcade realized the enormity of his parents' love for him.

Because his father might never be near him, might never be able to show his care visibly, but he cared through the little notes and gifts he had to fight his curse with just to write and deliver throughout the years. To many, it might not be enough. But to Larcade, whose father was burdened everyday with the weight of a curse, it showed just how much he cared.

And to him it _was_ enough.

Because his father and mother might be good rulers.

But they were far more wonderful parents.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, I'm gonna go dunk my head now. P.S., can you guess who that 'puppet' was? lol.


End file.
